Tufting button



Au 10, 1948. J, A, DAYTON 2,446,816

TUFTING BUTTON Filed July 9, 1947 INVENTOK, firzzesfl fiaylbia ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 10, 1948 TUFTING BUTTON James A. Dayton, Litchfield, Conn., assignor to The Turner & Seymour Mfg. C0,, Torrington, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut ApplicationJuly 9, 1947, Serial No. 759,831

3 Claims.

This, invention relates to tufting buttons and,

the like, such as for use in tufting mattresses, cushions, etc... and more particularly totheconstruction of the shank and head of such a button and the anchorage therebetween.

In buttons of the type set forth, there is provided a head to which is secured a shank having av thread or cordreceiving loop. In such buttons, the heads frequently fracture and the loops when formed with an open end under stress, may open, permitting escape of the thread or cord passing through the loop. Additionally, such open end may presentsharp corners capable of cutting the fabric which is pierced by the loop and positioned between the loop and the underside of the head.

In the preferred form of tufting button of the present invention, the loop may be, of any desired shape, and preferably provided with fabric engaging, shoulders. The loop may be symmetrical and formed. of half-round wire, the free ends of which are brought together to form a substantially cylindrical stem adapted to be secured in the button head. As an additional feature, the invention contemplates the securing of such cylindrical shank or stem thus formed within a head aperture of non-cylindrical or tapered bore by upsetting and expanding the shank within the aperture and riveting over the shank end on the outer; surface of the button head. The invention furtherv has to do with a head formed preferably of sheet metal, which is suitably roundedand shaped to eliminate sharp edges and to provide a neat appearance, the forming operation being such as to provide a proper shape of aperture for receiving the shank stem.

The above, and other features of the invention, will appear more fully from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only, and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tufting button greatly enlarged with the head shown in section,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the button, and

Figure 3 is a bottom View of the button head taken substantially on the section line 3-3 through the shank.

Referring to the drawings, the button will be seen to be composed of two elements, a head Ill and a shank I2. The head may be formed from a thin disk of sheet metal having a center aperture punched therein, a rounded convex annular top surface 3, a dished central top portion I4, and a curved rimmed portion l5. The rim edge is rounded as at IT so ..as to avoid sharpedges, whichmight otherwise tendtodamage or cutthe;

fabric with which the head is normally in. contact.

The shank 12- has a loop portion whichmaybe of any desired shape, for example, that shown having converging side portions It, and i8 termi mating in a bight 28. This shape, however, is not,

a feature of the present invention, and may be varied at will to suit requirements. The upper portion of the loop may be bent inwardly as at.

22 and 2:3, to form shoulders adapted to engagethe mattress ticking or clothpositioned immediately beneath the head, to prevent the button from becoming dislocated: once it is positioned.

within a mattress or cushion in the usual manner-,

well understood in the art.

The shank thus far described may preferably be formed of so-called half-round wire so that the shoulder portions 22 and 24 may converge and be bent as at 2 6 and 28 to form a stem- 3!)- the half-round wire, so that the stem; will'havea. substantially. smooth surfaced circular cross;-

se-ction and thus notbe liable to wear, pinch ortear'the threads ofthe fabric through which it.

passes, despite the use of two adjacent wires in;

the stem, and despite their non-circular crosssection. Also, the shoulders 23, 24 will be positioned to present only the smoothly rounded surfaces of the wire to such fabric, and the corners of the shoulders will be rounded notwithstanding the use of wire of non-circular cross-section.

The button head may be formed by a single punch and die operation from fiat disks, the punch and die conforming closely to the shape of the head as previously described. The disk from which the head is formed, may be provided with a punched or otherwise formed substantially cylindrical aperture which, when subjected to the dishing operation performed by the punch and die, will be caused to assume a tapered shape such as is indicated at 32. The dishing of the head to form the concave depression [4 results in the stretching of the metal along the undersurface, thereby producing the conical or tapered bore 32. Also, through the application of a countersink punch during the same operation, an additional bevel 33 is formed, which facilitates the forming of said conical bore, and the aperture, as is indicated at 34. The ends of the half-round wires are thereafter riveted over as at 36 to form in effect a single smooth, rounded stem head 38 which is well Within the dished cavity portion M of the button head. The stem head 38, being below the level of the annular portion 13, will not interrupt the smoothness of the mattress or cushion surface, and any weight against the button will be largely carried by the smooth annular surface 13.

The stem as thus formed will be seen to be tightly locked within the tapered aperture in the button head, the upset portion of the shank 34 being expanded into complementary tapered engagement with the wall 32 of the tapered aperture in the button, and by reason of the riveted head 38, the button head is securely fastened to the shank.

There is thus described a tufting button in particular having a loop shank which is entirely closed and which may have any particular desired shape. In addition, the shank is securely fastened to the head so that detachment of the head from the shank or the loosening of the head upon the shank is practically impossible. The button so formed may be coated with paint or plastic or any desired substance to provide a pleasing appearance, or may be plated or otherwise treated. While the wire described from which the loop and shank is formed is preferably of half-round section, it will be appreciated that the angular edges between the flat and curved surfaces will be rounded as at 40, and it will also be appreciated The 4 ent to those skilled in the art after an understanding of the invention, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is' claimed and desired to be secured by Letter Patent is:

1. Abutton comprising in combination a disclike sheet metal head which has an aperture therethrough, and a shank formed of a single piece of half-round wire shaped into a depending loop and with its ends brought together and upwardly directed from the loop flatwise in contact with one another to form a substantially cylindrlcal ,stem exposed beneath the button head, said stem having an end portion passing up through said aperture and spread over to form of the two wire ends conjointly in effect a single stem head on the upper surface of the button head, the stem end portion being expanded within the aperture to tightly engage the walls thereof, there being a small shoulder formation on said stem end portions and the but-ton head being engaged between said formation and said stem head to rigidly afllx the shank to the button head.

2. A button comprising in combination, a disclike head, and a shank formed of a single piece of half-round wire shaped into a loop with the fiat side of the wire innermost of the loop, the two ends of the wire being brought together and extending from the loop flatwise in contact with one another to form a stem with a neck portion of substantially circular cross-section, the end of said stem being rigidly engaged within said head.

3. A button in accordance with the foregoing claim 2 and in which the disc-like head has an aperture therethrough with downwardly divergent tapered walls, the stem end portion passing up through said aperture and tightly engaging said tapered walls and the upper end of said stem being spread over to form a stem head at the up-' per surface of the button head.

JAMES A. DAYTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,442,231 Morehouse Jan. 16, 1923 1,516,872 White Nov. 25, 1929 2,197,882 Simpson Apr. 23, 1940 2,421,280 Mathewson May 27, 1947 2,428,601 Williams Oct. 7, 1947 

